Railroad-car.



' 0 SIGISMUND.

RAILROAD GAR. APPLICATION FILED APR.6, 1912.

Patnted Nov. 11, 1913.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ZQZLZEngSSQST O. SlGISMUND.

RAILROAD GAR.

- APPLICATION FILED 11mm, 1912. 1,078,068. I Patentgd'Nov. 11, 1913.

4 SHEBTEHIIBI T 2.

I V Inpen'fioh lflzness 1 Oscar J and. z

0. SIGISMUND. RAILROAD OAR.

APPLIOATION FILED APR.6, 1912.

Patented Nov. 11, 1913.

4 SHEETS-SHEET a.

2/ .ZnvemZ-on dicaznizzjmund' 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4 Rvamion Oscardiyzlwzzunaf RAILROAD OAR "APPLICATION FILLED APR. 6, 19121' 0. SIGISMUND.

wzlimesises traveling floor of the car, looking at the same wheels thereof, the axle ofsaid wheel being useful Improvements in Railroad-Cars, of

means of pressure in a train pipe, so that all --structed in accordance with-this invention.

3 is a detail sectional View taken longitudidischarge flooring of the car. Fi n 4 is an Fig. 6. 'Fig. 8.is an inverted plan view of OSCDAR sIGIsMUND, or LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

RAILROAD-CAR.

roac es.

Specification of iletters Latent. P t t N0 11, 1913 Application filed April 6, 1912. Serial No. 688,945.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, OSCAR SIGISMUND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, ,in the county of Los Angeles and Stateof ,C alifornia, have invented new and which the following is a specification.

This invention relatesto improvements in railroad] cars, and particularly to cars which are adapted to automatically discharge their contents at any desired time or place) It is an object of the invention to provide material carrying cars which are capable of discharging their loads when moving along a road bed, the operation of the discharging mechanism being under the control of the conductors of the train, and without the necessity of an attendant going to the doors or discharge outlets of the cars.

It is also an object of the invention to provide load dischargin cars in which the discharge doors thereo may be cont-rolled by.

of the cars in'a train by be operated slmuL taneously without in 'ividual attention, the system being such however that certain cars can be prevented from discharging their loads'if desired.

It is a further object of the invention to provide load discharging railroad cars in which a portion .of the load supporting floors thereof are capable of actuation by connection with the moving wheels of the car for facilitating the discharge of the contents when it is desired to unload the car.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure lis a side elevation of an improved railway car con- Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same. Fig.-

nally through the mechanism controlling the inverted plan view of thecar looking at the bottom thereof. Fig.5 is a detailsectional view through the lower corner of one side of the car taken upon the line'lo fi of Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a portion of the as it passes around one of the supporting shown in section. 7 is a fragmentary detail plan view of the mechanism shown in the car floor showing the train pipe and the connections therewithrof the parts employed in operating the discharge door of the car. Fig. 9 is an enlarged side elevation of the car door. Fig. 10 1s a longitudinal sectional v ew through the pressure controlled mechanlsm for directing the pressure employed to the door operatingparts. Fig. 11 is a detail sectional view upon an enlarged scale of a portion of one end of the auxiliary tank employed upon the bottbin of the car. Fig. 12 5 1s a fragmentary sectional view through one wall of the car showing the reciprocating bar for operating the door releasing and securing 'mechanism. Fig. 13 is a top plan view of a train composed of cars constructed in accordance with this invention and show- 111g in a diagrammatical form the arrangement of the cars so as to be capable of discharging alternately on opposite sides of the train. Fig. 14 is avertical transverse section-al view through the central portion of the car. Fig. 15 is a top plan View of a portion of oneof the car trucks showing the wheel d'riven mechanism mounted thereon, and the clutch for connecting it with the traveling floor. Fig. 16 is a detail sectional View through the said clutch mechanism and the gear cooperatin therewith.

The details and fhatures of the invention will now be more particularly described, reference being had to the said drawing in which 20 indicates the body of a car constructed in accordance with the present invention. The car body is mounted upon the usual trucks 21' which may be of any desired or ordinary construction. The car is usuall of the open top type and is provided with conver ing floors 22 arranged in each end 1 thereof and converging toward a central 95 opening 23 in the bottom of the car. The opening in the. bottom of the car extends transversely of the same from side to side and arranged immediately belowit is an endless conveyer or travellng floor The said traveling floor is made up of a series oflapping bars 25, which extend a little more than the full-width than the openi g 23, so as to project slightly .beneat-h tle lower edges of the inclined floors 22. The-said bars 25 areformcd ,so as to lap upon each other as clearly shown in Fig. 6. The said bars are pivotally supported upon. the links 28 of supporting chains which extend trans versely o the car. There maybe any dcsired number of chains within the said bars for supporting and carrying them but infl ie drawings there have been illustrated three of. such chains, two at each edge of the opening .23 and oneat an intermediate point. The said chains are mounted uponsprocke't wheels 27 The chains 26 are of the sprocket type having projections or sprocket teeth 28 thereon, adapted to engage sockets 29 formedin the peripheral edges of the said .wheels 27. The said teeth are preferably located midway the length of the length of the linksof each chain..' The adjacent ends of'the said chain links are also formed with shoulders 30, whichabut upon each other when the chain is in straightenedposit'ion so that the upper lap of the chain will not sag atv points intermediate the sprocket wheels 27. On each of the said bars are secured the studs 31, which project from the under face of the said bars and enter the slots in the links 26, their lateralpivots being journaled in the side wallsof the links as clearly shown in Figs. 6 and 7. In this manner the said bars may properly accommodate themselves to the movement of the chains in passing about the supporting pulleys 27. The floor formed by the said bars 25 is preferably slightly inclined from one side of the car to the other as shown in Fig. 14and the chain is so moved that the load will be carried downwardly and outwardly by said floorwhen it is being discharged. The underlying edges of the bars 25 when resting upon the upper edges of the chain and forming the load supporting floor, are preferably extended a greater distance from the pivot supports than the overlapping wheels as for instance the inner axles of each end truckare provided with worms 32,

there-being preferably two axles, one at each end of the car, or one upon each truck of the car, provided with said worms.

Mounted upon each truck, above the axles having the worms 32, are shafts 33 which ex-' tend across the axles, but longitudinally of the truck, and engage bearings 34 and upon each of said trucks. The; said shafts 33 have loosely mounted thereon, worm gears 36 which are held between a collar 37 formed upon the shaft and a movable collar 38secured to the said shaft and arranged to bear against the hub of the gear. shaft 33 is also formed with a reduced end portion having an angular or squared part mesh with worms 32 will always be turned when the car axles rotate but will not communicate movement to the shafts 33 until the clutch cones are forced against the said gears 36. Each of the cones 40 is formed with a peripheral grooyp 42 engaged by a shifting lever 43. The shifting lovers are pivoted upon the adjacent framing of the trucks at one end,'while their outer ends are connected by rods 44 with pressure controlled levers 45. The rod 44 at one end of the car is longer than the rod 44 at the other end of the car, but both of said rods extend to said lever 45 which is pivoted at 46 upon the body of the car, and is adapted to be operated by a piston movably mounted in a pressure cylinder 47. The turning of pressure into said cylinder for the operation of the clutches through the mechanism just described will be hereinafter fully set forth.

, The shafts 33 are arranged approximately in alinementwith the shaft 48 of the centrally arranged sprocket wheels, which support the chains of the traveling floor. Between the inner ends-of said shafts 33 and the outer ends of the shafts 48, are ai ranged universal connections whereby the shafts 33 may communicate movement received from the wheels of the car to the shaft 48. These connections preferably consist of gimbal joints 49 and 50 carrying intermediateslip shafts. One member of thegimbal joint 49 .is provided with a split shaft section 51, havingan elongated squared socket therein, while one member of the gimbal joint 50-is provided with a squared shaft 52 adapted to extend into the shaft section 51. By this means motion is im- )arted from the ears en a in the axle f b b P;

worms to the central sprocket wheels for driving the floor. Of courseit is designed to drive the said floor only when it is desired to discharge the cars of their loads, at

which time the clutches are drawn together for connecting the parts.

Each car is provided with a door 53,

especially adapted to cooperate with the traveling floor and to permit the load topass out through the side of thecar when the floor is actuated. ,The door mechanism provided is preferably like thatillustrated in the drawings and is made up of a door proper 53, made of any suitable materialand formed'with elongated strap hinges 54 secured firmly to the door and having their p ntle engaging eyes at the upper edge of the door and turned inwardly over the same a sufficient distance to, insure the normal closing of the door through the action of gravity. The-said hinges are carried by a pintle rod supportedby clips 56 upon an inclined portion 57, of the wallof the caracross the top of the door. The doonopem ing is about the same'widt-h as the opening in the bottom of the car, so that when the door is unlatched and the load is permitted to escape through the side of the car, the traveling floor will be. capable of carrying everything out. The door is provided with latches, preferably in the shape of bolts 58 located near the corners of the door and having levers 59 and 60 for operating them. The levers 59 are preferably of the bell crank form, while the levers 60' are straight bars pivoted centrally upon the door. The free ends of the levers '60 are connected by means'of rods 61 with the lower ends of the bell crank levers 59 and the inner ends of the bell crank levers are connected by means of a rod '62 and a link 63 with each other. A lever 64: is pivoted to the upper 'end of said link 63 and is fulorumed near its central point at 65 upon the edge of the door. By pulling downwardly upon the outer end of the lever 64, all of the bolts may be shot out of locking position through-the connections just described. The operation of the lever (34 is made dependent upon the actuation of the floor mechanism underneath the opening in the car and for this purpose a vertically extending bar 66' is employed and mounted in suitable guide bearings upon the side of the car, the upper end of i-iaidloar having projections forming a recess 67 adapted to fit upon and actuate the outer end of the said lever 64." The recess 67 is however open upon its outer side so that the door may be free to swing outwardly with respect to the same. The lower end of the bar 66 extends downwardly to the bot-' tom of the -car body where it is connected by a pin and slot connection with an arm' 68 formed upon a horizontal shaft 69, which isjournalcd underneath the'edge structure of the car 'as shown in.Fig. 5. The inner" end of said shaft 69 is formed with a crank' arm 7 0 connected by a link 71 with the outer end of the lever 45 heretofore described. The operation of the piston in the pressure: cylinder 47 will thus not only set the traveling floor in motion, but will simultaneouslywithdraw the bolts used in latching the door in,'its closed position, so that thesaid door can swing outwardly on its pivots and permit of the discharge of the materials 1 from the oar.

The operation of the lever 47 is controlled by a train pipe pressure system similar to."

that employed for applying brakes to cars and "the said system is made up of the ordi- If nary train-pipe 72, which may be coupled at tit:

the ends of the cars with the train pipe of l the next cars and so on throughout the i length of the train. iBranch piping 73 controlled by valvesfi i preferably of the three 7 way connects the train pipewith .a

pressure directing cylinder-75. The pressure directing cylinder is connected with an auxiliary air reservoir 76 means of pipes 77 and "78. The cylinder 75 is also connected with the pressure cylinder 47 by means of pipes '7 9 and 80. Within'the cylin der is a piston head 81 which isconnected by means of a pistonrod 82 with 'a slide valve '83. The piston rod passes through a 1 guide head 84 located in the central portion of the cylinder dividing the latter into two chambers and the valve 83 is mounted in the chamber upon theother side of the guide head from that occupied by the piston head 81. .A spring 8'5normally tends .to force the piston from the partition head 84. The piston-head 81 is adapted to con- .trol the entrance of pressure into the pipes 77 and 79'and the train pipe pressure may 85 be made m force said piston head 81' inwardly against the spring 85,'a sufiicient distance to direct the pressure into the cylinder 47 and at the same time intothe auxiliary reservoir 76 for rechar 'ng the same.

The pressure thus introduce in the cylinder47 tends to move the piston to theposition where the connecting parts are-actuated to connect the clutches and permit the door tobe unlatched. The valve 83 is provided with two inclined ports 86 and 87 adapted .to direct the pressure from the auxiliary lacylinder into the cylinder 4:7, when the port 87 connects the ends of the pipes 78 and 80,

and to direct the exhaust from the'said cyl- 10o inder 47 when the port 86 connects the pipe 80 with a discha'rg ;e outlet 88 formed in the wall of the cylinder 75. check valve 89 mounted in the'end of the cylinder 76 prevents the return of the pressure from 10:-

the auxiliary reservoir through the pipe 77.

The structure of the parts is such that when the normal train pipe pressure is increased the piston head 81 will be forced inwardly. a sufiicient distance-to uncover the\ lit} apertures leading to the pipes 77 and 79 and the said tram pipe pressure'will thus recharge the auxiliary reservoir as well as .set the piston in the cylinder 47 at the inner end of its stroke. The piston thus moved will set the clutches for-starting the operation of the traveling floor mechanism, and :unlatoh "the door. The movement of 'the piston head 81 thus carries the valve 83 into i sition for exhausting the pressure from :the pipe *80.-and the end of the cylinder 47 connected therewith. When the door is to be relocked and the traveling floor to be iheld stationary, thetrain pipe pressure is reduced to its normal condition, permitting 125 .lthe spring 85 to carry the piston head 81 to the position shown in Fig. 10 of the drawsingi This will also operate to move the :valve 83 so that the pressure in the auxiliary reservoir 76 wiil be directed into the power \Qt) I cylinder 47 for disconnecting-the clutches, through which the traveling floor mecha nismis connected with its actuating gearing and also causes the door locking bolts to be 5 thrown into locking position again.

It'will begunderstood that the mechanism could be fully as'well operated by releasin pressure'from the train pipe, if the norma train pipepressure be so regulated as to I tend to compress the spring 85 and normally in the auxiliary reservoir will be directed to.

the power cylinder 47 for releasing the door and resetting the clutches.

The loads in the cars are not only directed upon the travelin fioors in the bottom, by

. means of the inclined floors 22 in the ends thereof, but also by means of an inclined plate 90 which is secured to the wall of the car above the upper end of the traveling 30. floor. The lower end of said plate 90 carries a flexible strip 91 adapted to rest upon the surface of the traveling floor to prevent.

material from going behind the said plate 90 and yet not interfering with the movement of said floor.

.Cars equipped with the pressure system above described and themechanisms controlled and operated therebymay be connected in trains in the same manner that 40 other cars are. connected and the traveling floors may be arranged so as to all discharge upon one side of the train or may be alternately arranged to discharge on opposite sides of the train, as illustrated in Fig. 13. hen it is desired not to discharge some of the cars, the valves 74 upon those cars are operated to shut off the pressure from the train pipe to the pressure directing cylinder 75 and the other cars. which itis desired to unload, are left with their pressure mechanism connected with the train pipe. It will thus be obvious that any one or more of the cars may be caused to unload their contents by altering the'pressure in the train pipe.

The cars are of course particularly adapted "for discharging their loads while in motion so as to distribute. the material along the side of the tracks for the movement of the car Wheels actuates the-discharging floors. It is believed that the operation of the mechanism will be fully understood in connection with the above description. What I claim is:

1. A car construction, comprising end.

and side Walls, an endless conveyer mounted said 'conveyer to discharge material carrie adjacent the .lower portions of said walls, said conveyer forming the fioor of said car when said conveyer is at rest, and mechanismoperated by the moving car for moving by said car, and fluid pressure means for controlling said movement. I

2. A load discharging car having a central opening in its floor, a transversely moving traveling floor made up of lapping plates, chains for supporting the same, sprocket wheels supporting said chains, and mechanism for operating said floor in conjunction with the movement of the car.

3. A load discharging car comprising body portion having a centrally depressed bottom portion, a transversely arranged traveling floor adapted to receive the weight of the material in the car, said floor belng made up of lapping bars, sprocket chains 35 carrying said bars and having shouldered end to end engagement with each other,. whereby the upper lap of the floor will, be prevented from sagging, sprocket wheels engaging said chains, and mechanism connected with the axles of the car for imparting movement to said floor.

4. A car having a load supporting endless floor, wheels for supporting the same, shafting for driving said wheels, a worm gear mounted onsaidshafting, worms upon the axles of the car wheels for actuating said worm gear, and clutches for effectively connectingthe Worm gears with said shafting, whereby the endless floor will be caused to move in discharging the load from the car.

5. A load discharging car having a. load supporting traveling floor and a pivoted door, means for actuating the traveling floor, bolts for latching the door in locked position, means 'for Withdrawing said latches when the floor istraveling, a pressure system for operating the parts in unlatching the door and operating the said traveling floor, and means for controlling the direction of pressure into said mechanism.

I 6. A load discharging car mechanism having a transversely moving endless floor, means for actuating the same, clutches for bringing said means into and out of operatire position', and a door having latching means and adapted to cooperate with the traveling flooring, a pressure cylinder having a piston adaptedto operate the clutch mechanism, and the latch mechanism of the door, a pressure directing cylinder adapted to control the application of pressure to the power cylinder, an auxiliary tank connected with said pressure directing cylinder,

and a valve in said pressure controlling cylinder adapted to be operated-by the application of pressureor the exhausting of pressurefrom the train pipe.

.7..A load discharging car having a load carrying endless conveyer, means for actuat- 1 0 ing the same in correspondence with the movement of the car, clutch mechanisms for connecting said. conveyor with the actuating device, a pressure pipe carried by the car and connected with any suitable source of pressure, a pressure controlling cylinder mounted upon the car, a load discharging door cooperating with the discharging conveyer, a bar for operating the door latch mechanism, a power cylinder adapted to operate the said clutch mechanisms and the said bar, a pressure directing cylinder adapted to receive pressure and direct it into said power cylinder, an auxiliary pressure reservoir cooperating with said cylinder, and a piston operable in said pressure controlling cylinder, a spring tending to move the piston in one direction, thetrain pipe pressure when increased above normal forcing the piston against the spring to recharge the auxiliary pressure reservoir and cause the operation of the mechanisms controlled by the power cylinder, and -a' valve connected withsaidpiston in the pressure directing cylinder'for cutting off the auxiliary pressure reservoir from the power cylinder and permitting of the exhaust of the pressure from said ower cylinder in accordance with the position of the piston.

In witness that I-cla1m the foregoing" I have hereunto subscribed my name this 1st day of April, 1912,

' Y OSCAR SIGISMUND.

Witnesses: EDMUND A. STRAUSE, EARLE R. POLLARD. 

